RWC Newsletter

Greetings to all our RWC members and a special welcome to our new 2025 members. It goes without saying that we are facing tumultuous and challenging times. Most of our snowbird members have returned home from the warm climates. To them, welcome home. To those of you who stayed home, welcome to spring. In April, the RWC conducted very successful membership meetings in North Bay and Timmins, and then in Sudbury on May 1st. Meetings are currently being scheduled in October for Sarnia, London and Niagara Falls. A bulletin will be sent out indicating all dates, details and registration information.

Allow me to introduce myself, I am Rick Prudil, and I have been elected as President of the Retired Workers’ Chapter and this is my first opportunity to address our RWC membership. I was employed by OPG as a Control Maintainer/Technician for 35 years, starting at Lennox GS for 4 years and then moving to Nanticoke GS. I was active in the PWU for virtually all those years. This activity culminated in being elected to the PWU Sector 2 Vice President position. Immediately after my retirement in 2011, I was elected as the RWC Vice President for Sector 2. I look forward to being your RWC President. I hope that all our readers are safe and healthy. Many of you will be either in warmer climates or planning to be on your way soon. For those staying home, we encourage you to enjoy our winter living and activities

Most of our snowbird members have returned home, welcome back. To those of you who stayed home, welcome to spring. We extend a warm welcome to new RWC members. A reminder to all members who will be travelling - I encourage you to obtain and maintain travel insurance and be sure to understand your coverage and exclusions. The RWC will be conducting membership meetings again this year in the late spring and early fall. A list of this year’s planned meetings is included in the newsletter. Dates and locations of our meetings are posted on our website. You will receive a bulletin this month with information on registering for the meetings.

Many of you will be planning winter trips to warmer locations at this time, perhaps some of you have already departed for these locations. Hopefully, any RWC member who will be travelling out of country/province this winter will make themselves fully aware of ALL the terms and conditions of their insurance coverage. If in any doubt whatsoever, please contact your Insurance carrier PRIOR to departure. I wish you all safe travels, whether they be within Ontario, Canada, or Internationally

To all those that have spent the winter in warm climates, welcome home. To those of you that stayed home, welcome to spring. A welcome to new RWC members. At this time of year, many of our members will be planning trips at home and abroad. As we now know we are in a new era of travel, especially if your plans include travel via airlines. We have included an article in this edition, of our newsletter, which will provide you with some information on travel insurance. I hope this information will be helpful to you.

It’s that time of year again, some of you will already be in warmer parts of the world or are planning to be in the coming weeks or months. For those staying closer to home, we encourage you to enjoy our Canadian winter living and activities as much as you can. Regardless of where you are wintering, and what you will be doing, I hope that all RWC members stay safe and healthy.

Welcome to Spring 2022, I hope that all our readers are safe and healthy. Welcome back to Canada to those who were able to spend the winter in warmer climates. For those that stayed home hopefully, you enjoyed the winter.

I sincerely hope that you and your families are all doing well and have remained safe during the ongoing pandemic. We understand that most of you had to stay home and endure our Canadian winter this year. Some of you, I believe, were able to get away to the warmer locations for this winter. Hopefully, with the COVID-19 vaccines now available, we will be able to return to a more normal life and travel will be an option for those who wish to spend time away next winter.

I sincerely hope that you and your families are all doing well and have remained safe during the ongoing pandemic. We understand that most of you had to stay home and endure our Canadian winter this year. Some of you, I believe, were able to get away to the warmer locations for this winter. Hopefully, with the COVID-19 vaccines now available, we will be able to return to a more normal life and travel will be an option for those who wish to spend time away next winter.

I hope that you and your families are all doing well during these somewhat unusual times. It goes without saying that COVID-19 has created difficulties for all of us and our families. Depending on where one lives the effects have varied. Overall, I suggest that PWU Retired Workers Chapter (RWC) members have navigated through the pandemic rather well and hopefully will continue to be safe and healthy.